Lies and Love
by Erynies
Summary: Peeta, a popular actor, lost his heart 5 years ago. Katniss, a mother, loves the children she gave birth to 5 years ago. Peeta meets 2 children who looks exactly like him and they were born 5 years ago. So what really happened 5 years ago? Two people know: Katniss, but not Peeta.
1. Two worlds

**Chapter one**

**Two worlds.**

"Okay! And… CUT!" the director shouted, his voice filled with glee. "That's a wrap everyone"

Hearing that, everyone around him cheered and erupted in conversation.

"Finally! After seven months of shooting!" one of the men holding a very large video camera said, grinning at his colleagues.

"I can't wait to get home and see my kids", said the woman who had large headphones now settled around her neck.

Everyone around were excited, they were finally done with filming. Now they can go home with their families. After spending exactly seven months, two weeks, and four days on location in Paris, they can finally go home. Of course, they all admit the place was beautiful, but it would've been a better place for a vacation with loved ones rather than a place for shooting a move.

But there was one person, however, who was as indifferent to the city as he was to the conclusion of the shoot.

"Oy, Mellark! Good work!" some of the crew called out after the retreating back of the star.

"Thank you everyone!" called back a woman before following the indifferent actor out of the set.

Lines of trailers were set outside on one of the large streets of the lovely city of Paris, France. Many people gathered time and again to catch glimpses of their favorite actors and actresses as they went in and out of their own trailers each day for a while now.

The woman shut the trailer door behind her that had a large golden star on it with a name imprinted on top, labeling: "Peeta Mellark". Peering through the tinted window, she saw the downcast face of a few young ladies who had been ignored by the celebrity. "You know, you could try to be a bit friendlier, for publicity's sake", she suggested.

"I'm not in the mood", Peeta replied flatly, as he dropped himself onto the large sofa tiredly.

She merely grinned at him as she said this. "Great job today by the way, now we can finally catch a break to see the city!" she said ecstatically.

"Mmm…" he replied nonchalantly with his eyes closed.

Shaking her head, she let out a long sigh.

"You really sh-"

Whatever she was going to say, she was cut off by the ringing of her cell phone.

"Yes, this is Glimmer… Yes… At y-… Okay… Sure… We'll be right there soon"

"Who was that?" Peeta asked, an eye half opened looking at his agent.

"Mr. Abernathy, he says he has to leave for Japan in an hour, he wants to see us before he goes."

Haymitch Abernathy was an American producer to Peeta's current film and one of the few people he trusted, besides his agent, Glimmer Byington.

"C'mon, let's go", Glimmer said, pulling him to his feet. "It won't take long, I already met up with him before. He didn't tell me mucho, only he said that it's good news".

Reluctantly, Peeta got up and followed her out of his trailer.

**XOXO**

"Of course, I'm sure he'll be willing", Mr. Abernathy replied into his cell. "Okay… yeah…"

"What is this all about Mr. Abernathy?" Glimmer asked, getting excited.

Haymitch was after all, responsible for Peeta's first big break in show business and he's been a producer to all of Peeta's movies ever since. He's also always recommending Peeta and endorsing his skills as an actor to all his connection in the business, which in result often gives Peeta chances to film internationally.

After pocketing his cell, the man turned to two of his favorite people, one was a highly praised and one of the best female agents to date, and the other, one of the most popular and highly paid actors in the business.

"It's good news for you Peeta!" he announced with a grin.

"So I heard," he said in a bored tone.

He eyed Peeta curiously as he always had. His relationship with the actor was always good, they respected each other and at this point, he even considers him as like a son to him as like a son to him, which goes the same for Peeta who treated him like a father. But regardless of the closeness of their relationship, this is one thing that he still doesn't understand, and it's his lack of passion of acting. He clearly remembers Peeta years back when he was just a budding actor; his talents were as good as they were today although not so polished. But he had passion when he acted, he actually saw fire in his eyes and that he was clearly enjoying what he was doing.

Now, however, was a different story. He lacked passion and he could literally see a barricade in his eyes. There was no fire, instead there was ice, and it was as cold as ever for the past five years. As his producer, he didn't care as long as he did well where his job in acting was concerned, and he did. As his friend and surrogate- father, he couldn't bear seeing him like this, he can clearly tell that he wasn't at all contented whit anything he does.

"I promised a friend you'd star in his new upcoming film!"

Glimmer literally had stars in her eyes as he said this, a grin spreading across her lovely face. "Oh that's wonderful Mr. Abernathy!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Nodding in agreement, Haymitch turned back to Peeta. "You have nothing important planned, don't you? Can you do this?"

All of the films he recommended for him were always good for his reputation as an actor and he had nothing better to do with his live other than work anyway. "No," he replied to his first question, "Yeah sure, I'll do it," he answered to his second.

"Very good! You don't have a choice anyway, I already gave my word"

Peeta raised a brow at him. "Then why bother asking me if I can do it?"

"I just wanted to know that you're actually willing to do it".

"So when does filming begin? And where do we fly out to next?" Glimmer interrupted, no imagining places like the Caribbean or Greece. All of Mr. Abernathy's projects always ended up at the most wonderful of places.

"Los Angeles, California," he answered casually.

"CALIFORNIA?"

Haymitch looked at the pair as they both repeated the word as if it were a curse.

"What's with California?"

Glimmer looked over at Peeta who was looking at the wall, an ice-cold glare spread across his face.

"Bad memories" he hissed.

Haymitch saw the fire in his eyes as he said this. It wasn't the fire he was hoping he'd get back but it was fire nonetheless. And he hadn't seen him look this emotional over anything for years now, albeit the emotion seemed to be pure distaste and hatred.

"A-Are you sure filming is already set for California" Glimmer asked, sounding hopeful that he'd answer otherwise.

"Yes, I've read the script myself. It's really good actually, and the entire thing's set in Los Angeles. My friend asked me if I knew more popular actors who were familiar with Los Angeles, and of course, I recommended the first person that came to mind," he said with a glance at Peeta. "After all, I did discover Peeta when I was in Los Angeles almost six years ago".

At the mention of this, Peeta's face hardened. "I'm not doing it".

"Why not?" Haymitch asked, perplexed at his sudden change of mind.

"I just won't," he said in a final tone before walking out of the room.

"I'm sorry Mr. Abernathy," Glimmer said apologetically, "But Peeta won't go back to California".

**XOXO**

"Hey there! Is your mom home?"

With that said, the door slammed to a close in front of the man's face.

Smirking, he turned to the person beside him who held exactly the same expression and face as he had.

"Boys! Who's at the door?" a woman's voice called out form the kitchen.

"Just a salesman mom!" the twins called back, ginning to themselves.

The doorbell rang again.

"That must be some persistent salesman," she said, peeking at the twins by the doorway.

Shaking her head, with a frown on her face, she walked towards the front door herself. "Look, we don't want-"

"Are you sure?" said a voice from behind a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh! Marvel, it's you!" she said whit a grin before taking the bouquet.

"Don't look too surprised Katniss, we're going out this evening, remember?" the man said, a smile on his face.

"Of course I remember, come in, come in," Katniss said, ushering him inside the house before sending a knowing look to the twins who were now frowning at each other. "I just have to leave Sae a few instruction, then we can leave."

"No problem, take your time," he said, grinning at her.

"Where are you taking mom?"

Marvel looked down and smiled at the twins.

"Oh, hi there! So you must be the twins Katniss keeps talking so much about. I'm M-"

"You didn't answer our question", said one of the twins, cutting him off.

A smile still present on his face, Marvel gave them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about that. Your mother and I are going to the movies".

"What movie are you watching?" they inquired at the same time.

"Well, it's not exactly the sort of a movie 5 years olds should know about," he answered.

With that said, the twins turned to the other.

"Ehhh… do you remember the last movie mom watched with that guy? What's his name, hmmm… Tim? He asked, as if speaking only to his twin.

"Yeah, mom was so freaked out by that movie. She went crazy when she got home, I thought she'd do to him the same thing she did to our father," the other twin replied, also sounding as if it were only them at present.

"What did she do to your father?" Marvel, who can't help himself, asked, a frown now upon his features.

The twins turned to him simultaneously. "She _murdered _him"

Although he doubted if it was true, Marvel still visibly paled at hearing the words come out of their lips.

"See that photograph over there?" one of the twins said, pointing to the frame being hung on the wall jus behind Marvel. "That's him, that's our father."

"And mom hangs that picture right there, because on the spot you're standing on right now, is the place where he died," the other twin added looking solemn.

"That was such a sad day," said the other twin.

The twin to the left nodded in agreement at this. "I know, we couldn't even mourn well because the police kept coming here day after day always asking about what really happened."

"But of course they never found out," said the twin on the right, looking at Marvel. "Because we helped mom cover it up"

"Yes, we even hid the weapon she used to murder him…"

"… to make sure she won't get caught"

"Actually, mom still uses the weapon from time to time when the wrong guys come into this house."

"We even have it with us right now…"

"…here it is." One of the twins then pulled a hand gun from the back of his pans and held it up to Marvel who looked like he was about to faint.

The older man's eyes bulged as he stared at the weapon on the child's hands with dripping blood on the handle.

"Please tell your m-mom I'll call her. I forgot I had an emergency… thing to go to," he managed to say in a voice that sounded more like a squeak before he practically ran out the door.

The twins looked at each other with grins spread across their faces.

"Eh? Where's Marvel?"

"He left" they replied to their mother who had just come back, trying to hide the delight in their voices.

"Huh? Did he say anything?" she asked, looking at her boys suspiciously.

"Yes, he says that he'll call you…"

"… because he forgot that he has an emergency thing to go to"

Katniss sighed; Marvel is officially the third guy who had one-way-or-another ditched her. Only this was the worst out of the rest of the other men she had dated, because this time, she didn't even get to start the first date yet and already he'd run off like the rest of them.

And somehow, she had a feeling that the reason behind all these guys from suddenly disappearing without another word to her, was because of the two twins boys who were the most mischievous kids she knew.

"You guys want some ice cream?" she asked, getting full blown smiles from them at the mention of the treat.

"Yes please!" they shouted before hugging her, a leg each.

But even if they were the reason why men avoided her, she wouldn't mind, they were the only men she was genuinely interested in. Her little men, Luke and Rye.

"Eh? How did this frame get so crooked?" Katniss wondered aloud, seeing the frame so lopsided. It couldn't have been the boys, their current height barely even reach pass her knees.

"The man was looking at it earlier…"

"…we saw him touch it because he was curious who it was"

The twins then snickered to themselves as the image of Marvel hitting the wall with the photo due to his fear of their toy gun, ran through their minds.

Katniss looked at the man on the photo who was about the age of 30 when it was taken. "I really do miss him," she said fondly, before straightening the frame.

"We miss grandfather too!" Luke and Rye declared.

With one look at the picture of Spruce Everdeen, Katniss lead the twins into the kitchen.

"Luke, why do you have a large ketchup stain a the back of your pants?"

**XOXO **

Disclaimer.

First at all, I wanna thanks all of you guys for reading this story.

Also, I wanna thank The dreamer for giving me the chance to adapt this story into a The Hunger Games fanfiction. All right and credits goes straight to The dreamer.

And finally, I don't own any of The Hunger Games character, they all belong to Suzanne Collins.


	2. An unexpected meeting

**Chapter two**

**An unexpected meeting**

Glimmer looked at Peeta, a scowl was still on his face.

"What'll it take to have a smile on your face?" she asked from across him inside the limo that had just picked them up at the airport.

"Nothing," he muttered, staring out the window. "Where are we going?"

"Straight to our hotel just here within Los Angeles," she informed, trying to lighten his mood. Although if she had to admit to herself, she wasn't in as much of a good mood as he was. Both of them weren't at all happy to be back in Los Angeles.

"When and where does filming start?" Peeta asked, wanting to get things over with. The sooner they started, the sooner it'll be over. And besides, most of the films they shoot don't usually last more than 4 to 6 months anyway. That's the only good thing he's been thinking about since the day Mr. Abernathy had forced him to come or else he'd revoke his entire contract with him. He's never had such an argument with the man in his entire life until a few weeks ago when he threatened to personally put an end to his acting career if he doesn't take his job in Los Angeles. 'What the hell was that man thinking', he thought scathingly as he watched the familiar Los Angeles scenery pass by as the lime drove along. 'He must have a motive'.

Before thinking of any possible reason why Mr. Abernathy had demanded he come back to the past he didn't even want to remember, the limo drew to a stop and the door beside him immediately opened, letting in screams of the large crowd that had gathered around the front of the hotel.

"Smile?" Glimmer said, looking at him whit a pleading look.

Peeta sighed and smiled, making her grin. Of course Peeta´s smile was the same as it had been for the past five years, just a tiny curve at the end of his lips without so much as a peek of his perfect white teeth. But that was enough for everyone. It was even more than enough for all his fans who thought he was just being cool that way, and not knowing the exact reason why they never saw their favorite actor smile.

**XOXO**

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleaaaaaaaaase?"

Katniss looked at the round blue orbs of her twin boys before sighing exasperatedly.

"If Sae says its okay with her," she agreed, giving in to their request, and smiled as the pair's faces brightened up almost immediately.

**XOXO**

"Are you finished _now_?" Peeta said with a scowl on his face. It's been three weeks since he's arrived in Los Angeles and his mood still didn't improve.

"Yeah, you can take a break no Mellark," the photographer said before giving his camera to his assistant.

Sighing, Peeta jumped down from the elevated set where he was having a promotional shoot for the upcoming movie. It was ridiculous, they've been filming for only two and a half weeks and already they intend to do so much promotion when not even 1/8 of the entire movie was filmed yet.

"Peeta, where are you going?" Glimmer called as she saw him heading out the studio.

"I need fresh air!" he replied without turning back but instead held up a cap and a pair of sunglasses for her to see.

**XOXO**

"Are you gonna keep following me all day?"

"It's what you paid me to do Mr. Mellark," replied the large man gruffly.

He smirked at the man before going into the large convenience store he had seen from across the street earlier. "Good point, want anything Boggs?"

Boggs, Peeta's bodyguard, shook his head as he positioned himself by the entrance to the store.

"Take your time, I'll be waiting out here."

Peeta never minded the presence of the large man; he was after all of great use for him especially with dealing with the paparazzi. But when he was sure he wasn't followed by cameras or fans, he'd rather he wasn't around either.

**XOXO**

"I'll be waiting at the cashier with the large sign on top that has the number one, okay?"

The twins looked at their nanny and nodded their heads, willing themselves not to roll their eyes. They knew where the cashier line was and they knew they had numbers at the top and they also knew what the number one look like, they could even count all the way to thirty now even if they didn't attend school officially yet.

They certainly weren't as dumb or immature as most people think due to their young age. In fact they were the exact opposite, but only their immediate family knew that, like their mother for example.

"Okay," they chorused before rushing inside.

"I'll go get the candy that Willow really likes…"

"… and I'll get the ice cream," Rye finished with a nod.

Luke grinned at his younger twin by 6 minutes and nodded as well.

"You might take longer than I do so I'll just meet you by the ice cream freezer!" he called as he ran down the aisles of the store.

"Okay!"

**XOXO**

Sighing irately, Peeta took off his dark sunglasses. Wearing it inside only made it harder for him to see.

'Hmm… what would Glimmer want…' he thought, looking down into the freezer.

"Excuse me, but can you move a little?"

Peeta turned around at the unfamiliar voice, but no one was there.

"Down here!"

Looking down, he saw a small child already glaring at him while holding a small stool, and he was left there standing stock still staring at him.

"Are you okay?" the child asked with furrowed brows.

Peeta shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts but continued staring at the small child. "Can I help you?" he asked rather amusedly, ignoring the child's question.

"Yes, you can. Please move a little," he ordered, making Peeta move to the side by a step. "Thank you."

Rye place the stool he borrowed from one of the workers in the store firmly on the ground in front of the freezer before climbing on top of it and peering inside at all the ice cream.

Peeta looked down at the contents of the freezer as well but can't help but stealing constant glances at the child beside him. Although the glare he sent him earlier was enough to shock him, especially coming from such a small child like this but what surprised him the most was that this child is the spitting image of himself when he was just about his age. Of course, he knew blue eyes and blonde hair were common but this is the first time he'd actually met someone who had the exact same facial features as he did, the child even had his eyebrows, the shape of his nose and the waves of his own forehead hair.

This child was either actually born looking like him or his parents were really big fans of his movies to actually turn their son into a spitting image of him, which, he thought was unlikely. The kid looked like he was only four or five years old.

"How long are you gonna keep staring at me mister?"

That statement snapped him out of it. "Sorry," Peeta said with a smirk.

Rye looked up at the unusual stranger and smirked back.

That did it.

"What's your name kid?" he asked, curiosity overwhelming him.

"Mom said I shouldn't talk to strangers," Rye replied immediately, but he can't help but actually want to talk to the man. He found him weird because he always stared at him but he seemed very familiar to him.

Peeta nodded in understanding at this.

"But if you can get that ice cream for me then you wouldn't be much of a stranger anymore," he added, pointing to a strawberry cupped ice cream.

Taking the ice cream from the bottom of the deep freezer, he gave it to him.

'What a negotiator,' Peeta thought, even more amused.

"My name is Rye," he informed, immediately holding a hand out when his other hand took hold of the ice cream cup. "What about you?"

"Peeta," Peeta replied, frowning a little. "Are your parents bakers or something?"

Rye grinned at this. "No, my mom just gave me the name, that's all," he said casually before turning to look down at the freezer for his next pick.

"Rye! What are you doing?"

Rye and Peeta turned to the new but similar voice.

'Another one?' Peeta thought incredulously as he saw another spitting image of himself stalking towards them and a scowl on his face.

"What are you doing?" he hissed to his twin who was standing on a stool while he kept an eye on the stranger.

"Getting the ice cream as planned… and this man is helping me," Rye replied, pointing at Peeta. "His name is Peeta."

Luke looked at the really tall figure beside his slightly elevated brother. He and his brother always thought alike, if Rye trusted this man, then so did he, no questions asked. "Thank you for helping my brother, my name is Luke, nice to meet you," he introduced formally and holding a hand up towards him.

Peeta knelt down to their level and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you too."

"We have the same eyes," he pointed out bluntly which surprised Peeta.

"Exactly what I noticed when I first saw him," agreed his twin, which surprised Peeta even more. They're observant… and direct, just like him as a child, although he wasn't as talkative like them back then.

"Tell me, how old are you two?"

"Five," they replied together.

"Hey, can you help me again please?" Rye said, pointing into the freezer.

Peeta got up and gave him the two chocolate popsicles and one vanilla ice cream cup.

"Thanks, Mr.… what's your family name?"

"M- MacLean," Peeta amended immediately. They might be kids but he couldn't risk revealing his full name, especially not to smart kids like these, they might familiarize his name form his movies.

"Thank you Mr. MacLean," they replied simultaneously yet again.

"It's always better to address adults by their family name…"

"… it's more respectful that way, according to mother."

He gave them both a nod before looking around them. "Did you come with your mother and father?"

"We don't have a father," Rye informed him.

"Don't feel sorry for us though, we're used to it," Luke added, seeing the look Peeta had.

"I don't feel sorry for you," he countered, a smirk on his face.

"Yes you do. We saw it in your eyes…"

"… you don't have to deny it."

Now Peeta can't help but chuckle. These kids were witty too. Never has he met children that actually got much of his attention, and here he was absolutely engrossed with two.

"So where is your mother then?"

"She-"

"Rye! Luke!"

All three heads whirled around at the sound of the woman's voice.

Sae looked absolutely troubled as she came almost in a run towards them.

"What are you doing? You've been gone for over 30 minutes already!"

"Sorry…"

"… we got held up."

The flustered nanny looked up and only just noticed the stranger who was with the boys.

"Do I know you?" Sae asked, trying to look into Peeta's features more clearly from under his cap.

"I was just talking to your boys," he said, pointing to the twins. "They're quite a pair."

"Oh, they're not m-"

"He helped us get the ice cream…"

"… he's a pretty nice guy."

"Thank you, then," she said before turning to the boys. "We better get going."

The twins nodded at her and turned back to Peeta.

"Nice meeting you Mr. MacLean…"

"… and thanks again."

Peeta gave a final nod towards the boys and watched as they ran towards the cash register.

**XOXO**

"What took you so long?"

"Bought ice cream, long line," Peeta lied casually, throwing a strawberry Popsicle to Glimmer.

Glimmer looked at it before offering it to one of the employees of the studio who passed by.

"Don't you like ice cream?"

"I don't like _strawberry _flavored ice cream," she corrected. "I thought you would've known that after all these years."

Peeta shrugged before taking a lick out of his own chocolate flavored one.

"You should really stop eating ice cream so much, you'll get fat," she warned.

He merely raised a brow at her, daring her to do anything about it.

"Yeah, yeah, forget it. I know when not to come in between you and your ice cream," she said with a roll of her eyes, making him smirk.

That's one of the more odd things she knew about her client. Sure he was as serious as he looked, even sometimes just down-right mean. But when he did his job, he really _does _his job, which is why almost everyone in the business doesn't complain of his attitude, because he always delivered his best.

His image of being a 'bad boy' however would occasionally be questioned due to him always getting caught by the paparazzi with an ice cream cone or any iced treat in hand. And the absence of having a girlfriend and his indifference to the female population didn't help either, which is why she had to pretend time and again that she was his girlfriend whenever gossip starts spreading about his questionable sexuality.

"Mr. Mellark, do you have a girlfriend?" Glimmer froze as she heard the words that didn't come from within her thoughts and looked up at Peeta whose face was hardened.

"How did you get in here?" Glimmer asked, looking at the girl with a frown before looking around. "Security!"

"No please, I only followed him inside, I-I didn't sneak in or anything!" reasoned the young girl as two buff guys in uniform came in and ushered her outside.

"You should really be more aware next time," Glimmer reminded him with a frown. "Did you even notice that girl come in here with you?"

Peeta still had a hard look on his features before he left towards the photography studio's set.

**XOXO**

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleaaaaaaase?"

Katniss sighed, eyeing the twins with a raised brow. She knew were this conversation was going, she's been led into this routine for almost two months already. It was always the same, every Saturday afternoon.

"You know the drill."

With that said, both boys kissed her on either cheek.

**XOXO**

"You guys are late," Peeta said, raising a brow at the three new comers, two were running towards him.

The twins grinned at him.

"C'mon, I heard they have new kinds of ice cream that came in just yesterday."

"I'll leave them to you then," Sae said with a kind smile.

"We'll see you in half an hour," Peeta said with a nod.

Sae nodded back and watched the trio walk into the convenience with a fond smile. She didn't know how this routine came to be but it had. Ever since their first meeting, they've been doing this for almost two months already. Every Saturday afternoon at exactly 3:30, the twins would pester their mother into letting them out for ice cream, and she would accompany them to the convenience store where she would leave them with Mr. MacLean, a _complete stranger_, at exactly 4:00 and pick them back up at exactly 4:30. She didn't even know what got into her for actually trusting the mysterious man who always met up with them with a hat and often with a pair of glasses. But she did, and so did the twins who seemed to find a liking for him.

Which was actually rare.

The twins don't trust men this easily, in fact they didn't trust any man at all unless they're like family or actual family, like their late grandfather. And here he is, a total stranger already getting their favor; maybe that's what convinced her to trust this man with them. It may change their perspective for the male population.

**XOXO**

"What are you guys in the mood for?"

The twins looked at the unusually filled freezer, eyes bugging out at all the new sorts of ice cream they've never seen and tasted before.

"That one," they said simultaneously, and also simultaneously pointing at the exact same ice cream cone which was wrapped in a silver wrapper.

"You guys really are something," Peeta said with a raised brow and smiling down at them.

He didn't want to admit it but Peeta's never had this much fun for a long time now, and he didn't expect to feel like this especially when he was in Los Angeles when this was where he lost his smile in the first place five years ago.

But he couldn't help himself, the twins somehow changed his mood, but that is of course when the two were around. He's been smiling a lot during their 30 minutes together every Saturday for the past few weeks. Just thinking about it, Peeta realized he's smiled more for the past weeks than he did for the past five years, excluding of course those times when he had to force a smiles on his face during filming.

"Thank you," the replied in unison, a charming grin plastered on their faces as a group of ladies passed by and complimented how cute they looked.

Peeta looked at the passing group through his glasses and back to the boys.

"You two really are the ladies' men."

Both shrugged at this before taking their usual seats on the bar situated against the glass wall by the entrance.

"It comes naturally…"

"… our mom says we got it from our father."

"The first time we met, you said you didn't have a father," he pointed out. He's been avoiding this topic ever since they mentioned they didn't have a father in case the twins might find it a touchy subject. But now, he couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, we never met him…"

"… mom says he died before we were even born."

"We don't believe her though…"

Peeta raised a brow at them.

"… we think he just left us and mom."

He watched as the twins casually talk about their missing father in between licks or their ice cream. "Why do you believe that?"

"Gut feeling…"

"… we get that feeling often."

"Gut feeling?" Peeta asked, not understanding what they meant exactly.

"Yeah, gut feeling. Like the feeling we get with you…"

"… why do you think we trusted you this easily?"

"I see."

Sighing in content, the twins turned to each other and nodded before standing up from their seats.

"There's exactly 5 minutes until 4:30…"

"... we have to go wait outside now…"

"… or else mother might worry."

Peeta doubted the gentle woman who left the twins with him would worry. She's trusted him to watch the boys for some time now after all.

"Hey wait!" he called out, almost forgetting. The boys turned to him. "I forgot to give you these," he said, giving them both tickets.

"What are they for" Luke asked, trying to read the labels written on the blue ticket.

"It's a… special pass. I can't meet with you guys next Saturday. I'll be at the new theme park that's opening not far from Los Angeles; it's just outside the city. If your mom's okay with it, you guys should go for the grand opening."

"What're you gonna be doing there?" Rye asked only understanding the words 'Los Angeles', 'theme park', 'movie' and 'pass'. The other words were words he hasn't exactly learned yet. And judging by the look on his twin's face, he was just as lost as he was.

Peeta was thoughtful at this, he couldn't exactly tell them he was there for an autograph signing for his last film, which he had shot in Paris. The movie was coming out this Wednesday and since he was in Los Angeles, this promotional event was strategically set up three days after the premiere, giving the film massive publicity in the US.

"You'll find out when you get there," he answered vaguely, earning a raised brow each from the pair. "You'll easily find me if you're allowed to go."

The twins shrugged at this. "If you say so," they replied.

"Just present the tickets to one of the workers and they'll know where to take you."

Both nodded at this.

Seeing Sae through the window, Peeta nodded at her direction. "Time for you guys to go."

"Thanks for the tickets…"

"… and say 'Hi' to Mr. Boggs for us!"

He waved back at the boys until they were out of sight, before taking out his cell.

"Boggs? Where are you?"

In fact, it was only at that moment that he noticed the absence of his bodyguard.

**XOXO**

"Wow, real slick!" Glimmer complimented from the doorway.

Peeta raised a brow at her through the full- length mirror in front of him while straightening his tie.

"You don't look half bad yourself," he said, noticing the elegant red evening gown she was wearing. It was a tight tube from her breasts down to her waist and from there flowed elegantly towards the ground, covering her legs entirely. Her hair was up in a bun with short tendrils falling around her face and tiny diamonds studs were place around random parts at the back of her hair.

"Thanks for the sort- of compliment," she said with a shake of her head.

"My bad, you look great!"

"Too late," she replied with a laugh before making her way towards him. "Let's knock them dead, yeah?"

He nodded at this with a smile spread across his face.

"I dunno what's been going on with you, but I'm really liking it. You really should smile more often, you look more handsome that way."

Rolling his eyes, Peeta smirked back at her and rested an arm around her waist.

"Ready?"

Glimmer leaned into him and nodded. "Let's go 'boyfriend'!"

**XOXO**

"Luke! Rye!" Katniss called out as she left her keys on the plate on top a shelf beside the door.

"Yeah mom?" came their voices form another part of the house.

"Give us a hand please!" she called back before turning to the little girl beside her. "You have your stuff, right?" she asked in a less loud voice.

The little girl beside her smiles brightly and nodded, holding up a package towards her.

"Willow" Rye and Luke shouted in unison at seeing her before turning to their mother.

"How long is she gonna be here for?"

Katniss smiled at her boys at the question.

"Forever!" Willow replied happily but still in her usual soft voice.

The twin boys grinned for ear to ear after hearing this.

"Is this true?"

"Is it mother?"

"Yes it is," replied a deeper voice from the outside the front door.

"Gale!" the exclaimed, smiling at the man behind Willow and their mother.

"Yo!" he said, grinning as he stepped inside. "How are you boys doing?"

"Just fine…"

"… we were just playing."

"Of course you were. Now, come help us with these," Katniss said, looking down at the bags she and Gale were holding. "Gale's staying for dinner with us tonight."

"Perfect!"

"What is?" she asked, suspicious of the excited looks the two boys had just exchanged.

"Nothing!" Rye and Luke exclaimed in unison yet again.

Katniss's suspicion only grew even more at this.

**XOXO**

"Mr. Mellark! Mr. Mellark!" called out a reporter amidst the large and very loud crowd gathered outside the theater. "Mr. Mellark! Over here please! Over here! Mr. Mellark!" she called out yet again as the actor got closer.

"That woman's a reporter form _Entertainment Today_," Glimmer whispered inconspicuously as she leaned into him. "Talk to her for a bit, it'll be good publicity."

Glimmer swore she hear him snort before he lead her towards the reporter, a hand still held firmly around her waist. She couldn't help but giggle.

"What's son funny Miss Byington?" asked a loud female voice, getting her attention.

"O-Oh, nothing at all," she replied, caught off guard as the reporter's first question was directed towards her. "I'm just happy about today's turn out that's all," she added with a smile.

The reporter nodded before turning to Peeta.

"Mr. Mellark, how do you feel about today's turn out? A lot of your fans are here to see the premiere of your new film even if the film isn't in English!" she said before holding the microphone in front of him.

"I'm happy. I'm especially thankful for my fans for supporting me through the years considering the diversity of the films I've starred in."

"That's good to hear! Then how about answering a more personal question for us Mr. Mellark?"

Peeta raised a brow at her as she said this, and stole a glance at the large video camera still aimed at him. "Depends, what's the question?"

"What really is your relationship with the lovely Glimmer Byington?" she asked with a grin directed to him then to the woman whose waist his arm was still resting on to. "We've heard a lot of gossip now and again for the past few years that you two are officially dating but no one has ever gotten a confirmation form either of you. So, I ask now, is it true?"

"Well, I-"

"It's true," Glimmer said, cutting him off and flashing a sweet smile towards the surprised reporter and the now even louder fans who had heard just near them. "Peeta and I have been dating for some time now. And we both hope all of you will give us your blessing!" she announced quite cheerfully before dragging a perplexed Peeta away from the reporter and back down the red carpet that lead towards the theater's front doors.

"What was that about?" Peeta hissed, as they reached the safe haven of the theater building.

Glimmer looked at him guiltily, but a blush was present on her face.

"I'm sorry about that. I just thought that'd give you more publicity, that's all."

Frowning at her, Peeta didn't believe a word she said. How could he? When she only looked certainly embarrassed over the whole ordeal that had happened earlier.

"Tell the truth," he said, looking at her seriously before pulling her towards an empty corridor for more privacy. "I've known you for years Glimmer, and I certainly know if and when you lie. Now for instance, I'm quiet sure of myself that you're hiding something."

Color flared up all the way to the top of Glimmer's face at this.

With one long exhalation of air, she looked up at him, a brave face on her features.

"I like you," she admitted flatly.

"You're supposed to like me. You are, after all, my agent. I'd be more of a pain in your ass than I am now for the past few years if you didn't actually like me."

Sighing, Glimmer lifted a hand and rested it on the side of his face.

"I _like _you," she repeated, looking more deeply into his eyes as she did.

Noticing realization spread across his features, she let go.

"Anyway, let's go. The movie's gonna start soon," she said, changing the subject before he got to say a word, and hastily pulled him after her.

**XOXO**

So... here's another chapter of this amazing story.

I wanna thank all of you guys for your reviews, you really make my day. And also for following this story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy adapting it.

I hate keeping you waiting, so I'll be updating every Saturday as long as my job allows me to do it.

As always, the famous disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games character, they all belong to Suzanne Collins. And the original idea of this story belongs to The Dreamer, I'm just a little fan who wanted to adapted it.

See you next chapter!


	3. Returning favors

Chapter three

Returning favors

"_What really is your relationship with the lovely Glimmer Byington? We've heard a lot of gossip now and again for the past few years that you two are officially dating but no one has ever gotten a confirmation from either of you. So, I ask now, is it true?"_

"_Well, I-"_

"_It's true, Peeta and I have been dating for some time now. And we both hope all of you w-"_

The image on the screen disappeared and turned black before Glimmer got her final words out, making Gale turn to Katniss.

"Hey, what's up? The news wasn't finished. And it's quite interesting knowing a ruckus is going on not far from here," he said thoughtfully.

Katniss looked back at him guiltily before replacing the controller to the TV on the shelf beside it.

"I'm sorry Gale, too much TV is bad for the kids. I try to limit the time they spend watching TV as much as possible," she responded truthfully, glancing over at Willow.

With a doubtful brow raised at her, Katniss merely smiled an innocent smile at the man.

"If you say so," he said, letting it go… for now.

XOXO

Outside, just by the kitchen doorway, two little boys were arguing, which wasn't often.

"You tell her," Rye said.

"No, you," Luke replied.

Both twins looked at the other, trying to make the other lose.

"What about…"

"… we tell her together?"

the two grinned at the other before clasping the other's hand and taking a deep breath simultaneously before stepping through the doorway.

"Mother."

Katniss turned to her boys who were looking back at her with identical serious faces.

"Yes?"

"We have business with you…"

"… about this Saturday."

Gesturing towards the two unoccupied seats of the dining table, Katniss nodded for them to take it.

"And what sort of 'business' is this?"

"Rye and I have plans…"

"… and we are here to ask for your consent on the matter."

Gale watched the scene with his face resting against his palm, an elbow on the table, his features holding one of great interest.

"What sort of plans did you two make?" Katniss asked, brows raised in pure curiosity. This was the first time the boys ever brought up such a thing up that seemed so serious to them and it intrigued her at what the 5 year olds could possibly have in mind.

"We want to go to the limits of the city…"

"… we heard there's a new theme park opening."

"Ah!" said Gale, a smile spreading across his face. "I heard of that. Mockingjay Theme Park is having its grand opening this weekend."

"Mockingjay?" the two boys repeated, never heard of the word before.

"Is that the name of the theme park?" Luke asked.

Gale nodded. "It's the name of the theme park. People say that the owner named the park after the some birds his daughter really love"

"Great, so mom can we go?" Luke asked, grinning as much as his brother was after hearing the place wasn't that far to go to.

"No," Katniss said dismissingly, making the boys frown as well as surprising Gale. She was never one to say no to her boys unless the request was particularly unreasonable, but this really wasn't.

"W- why not?," they both asked, not believing their mother had just said the word so easily.

"I have to take Willow for a routine check-up every Saturday, and that begins _this _Saturday," she replied casually and nodding towards Gale.

The pair turned to the observing man.

Gale's brows raised as the boys turned on him with pleading looks on their faces. "How did I get involved in this?"

"You're her doctor!" Katniss called from the sink.

"Can't you move the check-up…"

"… to another day? Like Sunday?"

Not at all immune to the looks on the boys' faces, he turned to Katniss instead.

"O- Oy Katniss!" he called, sounding helpless as he looked down at the pair of pleading, glassy and round blue eyes.

Sighing, Katniss went back to the table and looked at the twin boys pointedly in silence.

Both merely grinned back at her, but their eyes were still begging.

She wasn't immune to it either.

"Fine," she muttered regrettably, getting loud cheers from the boys. "But," the boys fell silent at this, of course there was a 'but', there was always a 'but'. "If Sae agrees to take you. I still have to take Willow for the check- up, we'll go there as soon as we can."

The boys started cheering yet again after hearing this.

"Sae didn't even agree yet," Katniss reminded them but that didn't stop them from cheering.

"If you say it's okay…"

"… then we're sure she'll say it's okay too."

Apparently, the old nanny wasn't immune to their puppy- dog eyes either.

XOXO

"Boys! Boys!" Sae called out, trying to keep an eye on the two very restless 5 year olds.

It was Saturday and Luke, Rye along with their nanny Sae were already in the theme park. They had only just arrived outside and the boys were immediately running around as they got out of their seats from the taxi.

They ran back towards their nanny with identical grins on their faces.

"Okay, I convinced your mother that we will only be doing two rides until she gets here. So after the two rides, you have to agree with me and stay put until she arrives with Willow, then maybe you can go on to more."

Nodding, the two took hold of their nanny, a hand each as they entered the park after paying the fee.

"What ride do you want to go on first?"

"That!" they immediately said, pointing up at the largest attraction in the park.

Sae turned to the Ferris Wheel situated at the middle area of the large park. It was a safe enough ride for their age.

XOXO

Taking a deep breath, Glimmer opened the door that led to the make- up room.

"Hiiii!" she greeted, smiling at the three people inside.

The make-up artist and hair stylist both smiled and nodded her way. The man they were currently prepping, however, had a frown on his face as he saw his agent walking in towards them.

Glimmer has been avoiding him ever since that little declaration with the press the night of the movie's premier, and quite frankly he's annoyed by it. How can he possibly work well enough if his own agent is avoiding him?

"Ladies, can you please step out for a moment? I have a few questions I'd want to ask Glimmer privately," he said, which sounded more like an order rather than a request.

"No, no, please, continue your job," Glimmer told them as they started to leave. "The press conference will start soon and the autograph signing right after, we can't waste any more time."

"The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner we get out of here then," Peeta said flatly, looking at her as if daring her to say any more.

Sighing, Glimmer nodded at the two women. "I'll call you back in a few minutes," she said before the door swung to a close behind them.

"Glimmer," Peeta started, making the blonde haired girl turn to him with a look of guilt. "Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked point blank.

"I haven't. I've just been really busy, that's all. Organizing this whole thing and setting up the stage with the stage crew of the part, and then there's the p-"

"Yeah, you're so busy that for the past few days you couldn't even spare a single second to just talk to me?" he said sarcastically with a scowl on his face. "You didn't even ride in the limo I took in coming here."

Glimmer scratched her head and looked down at her feet. It was true, she was avoiding him. And he finally caught up with her. "Look Peeta, about that night," she started, still looking down. "I'm sorry I told that reporter that we're dating."

"Yeah, it was ridiculous. You know well enough that I don't date or even like women, I-" he stopped as Glimmer's hurt filled eyes looked up at him.

"That's exactly it!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Do you even know how _I _feel?"

Peeta looked back at her, seriously slightly confused now.

"I like you, okay?" she burst out. "I _really _like you… and not as how an agent's supposed to like her clients. I really like you, as more than just my client, even more than just a friend."

As she said this, Peeta merely stared at her.

"And do you know how it feels for me? For me, to work by your side day after day, day in and day out, and only as your agent for the past 5 years, 4 months, 1 week and 6 days?" Peeta was completely silent at this point. "It hurts Peeta," she answered, more calmly now. "It hurts that I can only be close to you as your agent, as a friend. I know I'm being selfish, since I'm the one who spends the most time with you as compared to anyone else in the whole world but… it's not enough."

Tears started sliding down her flushed cheeks as she said all these and Peeta was at a total loss. He never even knew she felt that way about him, and this strongly too. She's been there taking care of everything to make sure he was a success. And he has reached success with her help.

"I'm sorry," she said, bringing him back from his thoughts. "I- I… that was uncalled for," she said, wiping away her tears and raising her gaze towards the ceiling to stop more form coming down.

"I'm sorry," Peeta said, making her look back at him. "I never even considered you feelings at all for all this time."

"It's fine. I was j-"

"No, it's not," he interrupted, sounding sincere with the gentle words coming from his lips, which rarely happens. "I've thought about acquiring my own success to prove to… myself, that I don't need anyone else to get to where I am today. But in fact, you've been there to help me all the way. Thank you."

Glimmer smiled at him, albeit it was a weary smile.

"How can I make it up to you? You can't avoid me forever, and I surely can't go no as I am now with a bad relationship with my own agent when we're supposed to be stuck together like second skin through every new project we take," he reasoned, looking at her for a solution. At this point, he was willing to do anything to keep doing what they've been doing for the past 5 years, 4 months, 1 week and 6 days… according to Glimmer.

And Glimmer knew that.

Taking the opportunity, she boldly stepped in, closed their distance and rested her palm on his cheek.

"Give _us _a chance," she said in a whisper, looking at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.

That startled Peeta, but he didn't show it, nor did he move away from her touch.

"I don't want to keep doing this behind a shell Peeta. And now that you know my feelings for you, I want to give it a shot. I want to give us a shot. I've always wanted to, and this is the only thing I want from you."

Peeta had to give it his all to stop the urge to scratch his head roughly with confusion and agitation. She didn't ask for anything else, not his money, his properties, or anything of the material kind. She wanted feelings, his feelings. How hard can it be? He's lived with her in almost every city in the world when he did on- location filming, he's lived the past few years well enough through different weather condition, and even emotional conditions. She's the person who knew him the best and the person he completely trusts with everything.

"Okay," he heard himself say, as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "We'll give 'us', as you put it, a shot."

XOXO

"Hey Sae…"

"… what's going on down there?"

Sae looked towards the twins who were standing on the seats inside the enclosed carriage of the Ferris Wheel they shared with a man and his 9 year old daughter.

Everyone inside looked over to where the twins were pointing.

A stage not far from them had a crowd surrounding it, and they could all see little dots moving towards the massive audience already formed around it.

"Ah… that must be the promotional event everyone's talking about," the man said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "They say a popular, international celebrity is here to promote his latest movie that had just come out a few days ago. He's even doing an autograph signing."

"Oh, dad, can we go?" his daughter said, tugging on his sleeve.

"Sae, we want to go too!" the twins told their nanny, even though they didn't understand what a 'promotional event' was.

The two grownups looked at each other before turning to the little ones.

"Sweetie, the crow around that stage is already too large. I bet we can't even catch a glimpse of the actor even if we went," he explained to his daughter who now held a downcast face.

"Luke, Rye, we can't go there. You might get lost in that huge crowd. You might end up worrying your mother, Willow and I if you got lost within the many people there."

XOXO

"So, how was your stay in Paris through the filming of the movie Mr. Mellark?" asked the reporter before sitting back down.

"It was great," Peeta said truthfully. "The environment's good and the people were nice too. It was jus hard to communicate with them though. My French isn't exactly something I'm proud of," he confessed, earning a few laughs from the crowd.

"Okay everyone, that ends the press conference," the woman, who Peeta guessed was one of the theme park's manager, said into the microphone form the podium at the end of the stage. "Again we would like to thank you all for coming for the grand opening of Mockingjay Theme Park, and of course for Mr. Peeta Mellark for coming all the way here to promote his movie and the park as well!" she said, clapping her hands as did everyone in the audience.

Peeta bowed his head at them and gave a short wave.

"If all the media would please set your video cameras to the side, we would like to start with the autograph signing as soon as possible," she added, before large men in jackets with the label _Security_ came into the scene. Some of theme started gathering around the stage, leading the media out from the front of the stage and taking the chairs, while some of them led the eager crowd to form a line towards the side of the stage where the short steps were placed.

"Be nice," Glimmer said in a low voice with a smile on her face as a large table filled with stacks of his photographs and posters from the film were set beside him.

Peeta smirked at her for the joke. He was always nice to his fans, in such occasions. Of course his 'bad boy' image would be shown from time to time but that usually happened when it involved the paparazzi. And although he has the usual scowl or glare on his face, he was never one to be rude to his fans.

"Show me that smile you've been having lately ever since we got here," she added before leaving the stage as the first person from the audience was sent up towards him to the center of the stage.

As she said that, it was only then that Peeta remembered the twins. He looked towards the crowd of people closest to him, hoping he might see the two identical faces that were similar to his.

"Mr. Mellark?"

His gaze snapped back at the rather calm woman who now stood in front of him with her hand held towards him.

"Nice to meet you," he said with a smile and shaking her hand before signing the poster with a large marker and handing it to her.

XOXO

I want to apologize to everyone for not being able to update last week. It's been two crazy weeks at work and I haven't even had time to sleep... I think I've slept three days in these two weeks.

Anyway, here's chapter three. I hope you enjoy it and stay still 'cause next chapter will be great, I swear.

Thanks for your reviews, follows and alerts. See ya!

Disclaimer. I own nothing. All rights of every character goes to Suzanne Collins and the idea of the story goes to The Dreamer.


	4. Parent trap

Chapter four

Parent trap

"Will you make sure they come back to me at this exact spot?" Sae told the rather large, buff man, still very unsure. She can't believe the boys actually convinced her to take them there.

"Don't worry Sae…"

"… we'll be back soon."

She turned to the boys as they said this. "You might get lost, you can't even see past this large crowd," she said, pointing towards the swarm of people gathered around the stage.

"Don't worry ma'am, I'll take care of them," he said with a smile before lifting them easily enough with each arm.

The twins laughed as the man set them on his broad shoulders.

"H-Hold on you two!" the nanny called back as the man with the security uniform made his way through the crowd easily.

XOXO

"Sae just sent me a text message," Katniss said, a frown on her face as she pocketed her cell.

"What did she say?" Gale asked as he circled the lot again in search for a free parking space.

"She said she took the boys over to the stage where a promotional event was going on and that they were taken by some security guy for a closer look."

"Yeah, so?"

"Those kinds of things mean there must be hundreds of people gathered there," she pointed out, thinking if the boys would be okay.

"Katniss, chill," the man behind the wheel said, sending her an assuring look. "They'll be fine. Those boys of yours are smarter than most kids their age; let them have a little fun. Besides, this is their first time ever going somewhere besides the supermarket and the mall right?"

Katniss held a guilty look as he mentioned this. It was true, she never took her kids anywhere besides the supermarket for groceries or the mall for occasional shopping of clothes. It wasn't like they needed to go anywhere else anyway, they were only kids. And she wanted to protect them from all sorts of influences, which is why she didn't want them watching TV or playing video games either.

"I guess you're right," she said with a sigh.

XOXO

"Hey mister…"

"… where are we going?"

The twins were being carried towards the stage but they didn't know why. They were sure however that they were catching a lot of attention. As they passed through the throng of people of different ages and sizes, almost all of them turned and stared at them.

"Backstage," the man below them said as the continued his way towards the stage.

"Why?" they asked in unison, wondering what was special there.

"Those tickets you have are backstage passes," he told them as he nodded at the man who was in the same uniform as he was, and letting them pass through.

Just as he let the two boys down, a woman approached them

"What is this all about?" she asked, a frown upon her face.

Luke and Rye looked up at the tall and slender woman whose eyes were colored a piercing gray and her hair fell just in the middle of her back.

"Ms. Byington, these boys have backstage passes," he informed, pointing down at the twins.

Glimmer looked down at the boys, only just noticing them. When she did, she was caught off guard as she looked into very familiar sets of eyes. And these current pairs of eyes were looking straight at her with a glare.

"Oh my," she said in a whisper before bending down to the boys' level. "How do you do?" she asked politely although a frown was still on her lips.

"Fine…"

"… thank you."

They replied curtly, still looking at her with a glare. They really didn't know why, but it was their gut feeling acting up again, telling them not to trust this woman. Maybe it was because of the sort of look she was giving them.

"Can I please see your tickets?" Glimmer asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable at their scrutinizing glares. 'What's with these kids?' she asked herself.

Taking the passes, she took one last close-up look at the Peeta- lookalikes before standing back up and inspecting the tickets. They were the real thing.

"Excuse me boys, but where did you get these from?"

"Mr. MacLean gave it to us…"

"… last Saturday."

"Mr. MacLean?" Glimmer repeated, making the boys nod. 'Well, they are only children,' she thought, assuming it was the reason why they can't say Peeta's name right. "Very well then, let's go!"

As she said this, the twins looked at each other, doubt in their eyes if they should follow the woman. But Peeta's words filled their thoughts the day he gave them the tickets. He said the workers will know where to take them if they presented the ticket. And they did trust him.

Nodding at the other, the twins held hands before following her.

XOXO

"Sae!" Katniss called out towards the woman she had only just spotted after quite some of searching.

Sae turned and waved them over.

"Good afternoon Sae," Willow greeted the nanny softly with a smile.

"Good afternoon to you too Willow," she said, patting the child lightly on the head.

"Where's Luke and Rye?" Katniss asked, looking around the older woman and seeing no identical faces.

"Take a look for yourself," the woman replied with a laughing smile on her face, pointing towards the stage.

Katniss turned and her breath got caught.

There they were, Luke and Rye, entertaining the laughing and cooing audience with various goofy poses on the stage. But what caught Katniss's breath wasn't the outstanding performance her twin boys made with entertaining the crowd; it was the man whom they stood on either side of.

"Peeta," she whispered, wanting to faint but found that her body didn't feel like fainting.

"Do you see them clearly from here Willow?" Katniss's gaze turned to Gale who was carrying Willow in his arms and pointing towards the stage with the three identical looking boys. "Well, that man they're playing with on stage is a very popular actor," he added but Willow's face remained unfazed. She kept silent but stared on to where the twin boys stood on stage.

XOXO

"Lady…"

"… where is Mr. MacLean?"

They asked as Glimmer went back inside the room she left the twins in.

"I just went out to talk to him, he says he wants to see you now," she said with a now gentle but unsure smile at the boys. She was still shocked however at Peeta's confession that he's actually been meeting these boys for a while. "Please follow me boys."

Luke and Rye did as they were told and followed her through the backstage where it was full of stacked boxes and racks of weird clothing until they reached an area with a lot of curtains hanging from a distance above theme.

"There he is," she said, pointing to the unfamiliar man who was smiling and shaking the hands of different people who came up to him.

"That's no h-"

Luke didn't finish his sentence as Peeta turned to them and saw the man's eyes. It is him. This was the first time the twins actually saw him without a large hat on to cover his curly hair which they only just noticed, matched theirs along with their similar blue eyes.

XOXO

"Come here," Peeta mouthed to the twins with a wave of his hand, completely ignoring the very talkative teenager in front of him.

"… 'cause you know, you were like, really, like, hot in that movie and…"

A wide grin spread across Peeta's features as he watched the twins walk up to him side by side.

"… my friends also thought you were, like, hot of course, and I was like, I- Oh my God!"

Peeta turned to the teenager as she exclaimed in surprise when she saw the twins walk up towards the table from the curtains.

"They look exactly like you!" she said, watching the twins as they stopped right beside the actor.

"You lied to us…"

"… your name is Mellark…"

"… not MacLean…"

"… and you never told us…"

"… that you're a movie star either."

"Oh my God! That was too adorable!" the teenager exploded, and getting the attention of the rest of the crowd who hadn't taken notice of the twins' presence.

"Sorry about that, I thought you two might recognize me and give me away. I can't have people bothering us during our ice cream breaks right?" he said with an apologetic grin.

"We forgive you then…"

"… but you owe us twice as much ice cream next week."

They said, holding up two fingers each.

"Fair enough," he said, smirking at the boys. "Want to help me entertain this group?" he asked, pointing towards the sea of people below the stage whose hands were now in the air, trying to reach out to them and screaming how cute the three of them looked together.

Luke and Rye grinned at each other and grinned up at Peeta who led them towards the front of the stage with him.

"Mr. Mellark! Who are these kids?"

Peeta looked down and spotted that the media had somehow found their way back towards the front of the stage again, large cameras and video cameras in hand along with their microphones.

"Meet Luke," he said pointing to the twin on his left. "And Rye," he said pointing to the twin on his right.

The twins looked at each other and up to the man in between them with the same thoughts in mind. 'How can he tell us apart?'

"Hey kids!" their attention turned to the man who was holding a camera. "Do some poses for us will you!"

That said, they started doing all sorts of cool poses for them, and Peeta joined in on the fun, earning laughs from the crowd as he did.

Bright flashes blocked their sight from the crowd in front of them and the sounds of cameras clicking only increased as the trio laughed and posed even more for the audience's entertainment until their poses ended up wacky and until it turned out to be just plain silly.

"Okay, okay, let's get back to the autograph signing everyone!"

The twins immediately turned to the woman who appeared behind them, a glare on their faces. Peeta looked down at them bemused before turning to Glimmer himself.

"There's still a long line, and a lot of posters and photographs left, you have to finish all that," she whispered into his ear and pointing to the still full table behind them.

Peeta nodded at this with a concealed sigh.

"C'mon boys, let's go back to th-"

"Glimmer, leave the boys here," Peeta said, suddenly getting an idea. "And bring up two more chairs, and a few pillows too."

XOXO

"What are they doing?" Sae asked incredulously as chairs were set up, one on either side of Peeta.

As the twins got up and sat on the chairs whit pillows to add to their height so to reach the table, Gale laughed as the boys joined in the autograph signing. They were greeting and shaking hands with Peeta's fans as he signed the photos and posters for them to take when they leave.

"Catnip, those boys of your _really _are something!" he said without looking at her.

Katniss merely watched on in silence as the boys sat there and helped the actor in doing his job. Worry was clearly written all over her face as she deliberated within herself a way out of this mess if worse comes to worse.

XOXO

After giving away the last of the signed posters and photographs, Peeta sighed in relief and watched as the security personnel started to turn the crowd, making them leave the stage area.

"Mr. Mellark, I'll take the boys back now."

The twins looked up at the large buff man that had carried them earlier and jumped off their seats.

"No, I'll take them," he said with a wave of his hand. "I have to go thank their mother for letting them come."

The man nodded at him before rumpling the twins' hair and messing it up, making them complain.

"Hey! It's hard enough to fix our hair…"

"… for you to just ruin it."

The man and Peeta laughed as the little boys attempted to fix their hair.

"I don't know about you Mr. Mellark, but seeing these two reminds me a whole lot of you. It's like they're your sons or something," he joked before leaving the stage.

Peeta laughed, can't help agreeing with him. If he had sons, which he didn't, he'd imagine them to be like these boys too.

"Okay, c'mon. Do you know where your mother is?" he said, standing up from his seat.

The boys looked over towards the dispersing audience and spotted Katniss already there.

"There she is!" they both said excitedly.

Peeta looked over to where they pointed, but they were pointing in the direction of a woman whose back was turned, a man who was carrying and talking to a little girl.

"Wh- Ah, there," he said, spotting Sae (A/N: let's just pretend that, in this story, Sae is not as old as she's in THG… just a little bit younger, ok?) standing just by their group and waving in their direction. "Let's go out back. We need disguises."

"Disguises?"

"Well, you two are really popular now. You saw all those people taking pictures of you, now you need a disguise so they won't bother you when we go out there."

XOXO

"Here they come," Sae said joyously, spotting Peeta with the twins walking towards them, their similar hair covered with similar white baseball caps.

Katniss was officially panicking now. 'Calm down Katniss, it'll be fine. Breathe,' she told herself, while making sure Gale was covering her from sight.

XOXO

As the twin boys spotted their family, they started tugging on Peeta's legs to make him go faster.

"There they are!"

As they reached them, Peeta shook Sae's hand after she gave the twins a kiss on the cheek each for the wonderful job they did on stage.

"Thank you for letting them go up there," he said with a smile. "And I'm sorry I never told you guys I'm actually an actor," he added with a guilty grin.

"Yes, it would've been a lot easier on my nerves if I actually knew who you really were from the start rather than assuming you were some nice stranger, but it's fine," the nanny replied with a smile. "And you should thank the boys' mother, if she hadn't consented, I would've dragged those boys right off the stage!" she said with a laugh in her voice.

This confused Peeta. "Excuse me? Their mother? Aren't you their mother?"

"Heavens no, I'm their nanny!" she corrected.

Frowning, it was only then that Peeta saw that the twins were missing from her side.

"Mr. Mellark!" Gale greeted, surprising Peeta as he suddenly appeared beside Sae. "I'm a real fan of you films!" he said, excitedly shaking Peeta's hand with his free one. "Aren't I Willow?" he asked, looking at the child in his arms.

Peeta could literally feel his whole world stop.

"Willow?"

He repeated the name in a very faint voice, as he stared at the little girl the man was carrying. Her hair was the color of the night that ended just above her shoulder and her eyes were round and innocent, in a magnificent grey color. She looked exactly like…

"Katniss!" Gale called behind him. "Come and meet Mr. Mellark!"

Nothing else would've snapped Peeta's attention from the very familiar little girl in front of him except for that.

'Crap', Katniss squeaked in thought as her eyes fell on Peeta who was now openly staring at her.

"Mother…"

"… meet Mr. Peeta Mellark!"

The boys said, grinning from ear to ear as they stood on either side of her in front of Peeta.

"Peeta…"

"… meet our mother!"

Peeta and Katniss stared at each other, not uttering a single word.

XOXO

So here's chapter four! And for some of you (which I thinks is everyone) Peeta and Katniss finally meet!

I wanna thank all of you for your reviews. Thanks for being so understanding with me, for not being able to update the other day. I could say I swear that won't happen again but I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best.

Thanks again to everyone and hope you enjoyed this chapter.

And, as usual...

DISCLAIMER.

The Hunger Games character belong to the amazing Suzanne Collins. And the idea of this story belongs to The Dreamer.


	5. Several Conclusions

**Chapter 5**

**Several conclusions**

Luke and Rye looked at each other before reaching up and pulling on both of Katniss's hands.

"Mother?"

Katniss snapped out of it.

"A- A pleasure to meet you Mr. Mellark," she replied as calmly as she could with a hand held towards him.

Peeta could literally feel his blood boil within him. Realization after realization hit him like cold seawater crashing down on him wave after wave.

"What the hell is t-"

"My name is Katniss Everdeen. I believe this is the first time I've met with such a famous actor before," she added in an innocent tone, cutting him off.

Peeta's brow furrowed at hearing her say this, then he felt something tug on his pant leg.

"Don't be rude to mother," Rye whispered, pointing up at her held out hand.

Reluctantly and silently, Peeta took her hand and shook it, unable to say anything.

Katniss smiled at him before turning to Gale. "How about we grab something to eat? I believe the boys haven't had anything to eat yet due to their little detour," she said with a brow raised at the twin boys who were grinning.

"Of course! There's a restaurant no far from here, I think it'll be better to eat there than eat the unhealthy ones served here in the park," he said before turning to Peeta. "How about it Mr. Mellark? Would you care to join us? That is if you don't mind joining this average family," he added with a grin.

"Yes, you may join us if you want Mr. Mellark," Katniss said with a sweet smile.

Peeta, a frown still on his features, was still confused with the whole situation; he still couldn't say a word.

"He'll come!" Rye answered for him.

"Won't you?" Like added, looking at him.

XOXO

"What?" Glimmer said into her cell, a frown on her face. "Well, if you're sure… okay."

Frowning, she looked at the screen of her cell until Peeta's name disappeared as the call ended.

Ms. Byington?

"Yes?"

"Where do we put all these?" the man asked, pointing to a few boxes.

"Just put them in the truck please," she said with a smile before a frown appeared on her features again. 'Why is he so attached to those kids?' she thought. It was the first time Peeta had any emotional connection to anyone or anything for the past few years. Now it's happened again and in the same country no less.

"_Don't worry… I'm just gonna grab a bite to eat with the twins and their family as thanks for helping me with the signing earlier. I'll meet you back at the hotel."_

XOXO

"Excuse me, I have to use the ladies' room," Katniss said, getting up from her seat.

Watching her leave, Gale turned back to Peeta whom he had noticed had been frowning ever since they left the park.

"Are you alright?"

Peeta looked at him, a frown still on his face. "Yeah, I'm… just a bit tired from earlier," he lied, trying to put a smile on his face.

"Yeah, there were a lot of people…"

"… but it was really fun!"

That said, the twin boys started goofing off and doing all sort of poses on their seats.

"Now boys, don't make too much of a scene, we're trying to hide ourselves, remember?" Gale reminded, nodding at the people around the restaurant. They were seated on the large round table at the corner and positioning themselves so no one can properly see Peeta.

"Sorry!" they replied in unison but with grins on their faces before turning to their sister.

"Willow, you haven't met Mr. Mellark yet…"

"… he's very nice!"

The Katniss lookalike kept silent on her booster seat that was positioned in between Katniss and Gale.

"Sorry about Willow," Gale told him. "She's not really much of a talker compared to the boys."

Peeta looked at the child with a blank face, not sure what to make of her. Just looking at her made him as angry as when he first saw Katniss. She was just an innocent child but she looked too much like her mother, in fact she looked like her own mother's twin.

From the trip they made in Peeta's limo to the restaurant, and the time they spent waiting for a table and through the course of their meal, Peeta's come up with several conclusions about the entire family.

One, Luke and Rye were his sons.

Two, Katniss married Gale to give the kids a father.

Three, she gave birth to Willow, making her Gale's and her daughter.

Four, somehow, she's lost her memory about the past he and Katniss shared.

Or…

Five, she's developed some acting skills of her own through the years and is pretending she's forgotten all about him.

Peeta's fourth and fifth conclusions didn't really matter to him; neither did his second and third conclusions if only they didn't somehow involve his first conclusion.

But his first conclusion, he was damn sure it was true. He knew it within his heart and mind that Luke and Rye really were his and Katniss's flesh and blood. There was no question about it. The kids told him before that they were 5 years old, and his relationship with Katniss ended five years ago, but that didn't mean she couldn't have been pregnant whey they broke up. And the chances of Katniss getting pregnant at that time weren't an impossibility at all.

Knowing all that only made his hatred for Katniss double, and also made him hate Gale and their child Willow.

"Sorry I took so long."

"Are you alright?"

Everyone at the table, Peeta include, looked up at Katniss whose eyes were slightly red and puffy.

"I'm fine. I was washing my face, I just got soap in my eyes," she reasoned with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, shall we go? I mean, we can't keep Mr. Mellark with us all day."

"Can we ride with Peeta again?"

"We wanna ride in that fancy black car!"

Katniss looked at her boys with a stern look. "You can't have Mr. Mellark do everything you want for you boys."

"I don't mind," Peeta interrupted. "I can drop off Luke and Rye on my way back to the hotel."

An unsure looked crossed Katniss's feature at Peeta's statement, and the kind of look he was currently giving her made her look to Gale for help.

"That's fine," he agreed, making Katniss sigh. That wasn't the line she was expecting him to say. "But Willow should ride with us though," he added, looking at the little girl with a gentle smile, making her nod in silence.

"Perfect," Peeta said, trying no to sound so harsh.

XOXO

"Who would've thought, eh?" Gale started conversationally as they followed Peeta's limo out of the parking lot of the restaurant. "Your boys really are something Catnip, I mean, Mellark's obviously in close terms with them."

Katniss thought about that too, just how much do they know of each other?

"Is something wrong Katniss?" Sae asked from the back seat where she sat beside Willow.

"I- I'm fine, why?"

"You seem out of it today," she pointed out.

"No, it's nothing. I'm just worried that's all. We didn't get to finish Willow's check-up today," she said which is actually half true. They were supposed to be at the hospital for the entire day but had to cut it short to go to the park for the boys.

"It's okay," Gale said reassuringly. "We can always finish it tomorrow. Right Willow?" he asked, looking at the little girl through the rear-view mirror.

"Yeah. We can go back tomorrow mommy," Willow responded with a smile.

XOXO

"Boys," Peeta said, getting their attention from all their button- pushing.

Ever since they got back inside the limo, the twins have been touching things non- stop, pressing buttons that raised the mini- fridge from one of the seats, opening the roof, opening the small window that revealed the driver, and more.

It wasn't entirely annoying for Peeta; in fact, he was more entertained than annoyed. But he wanted to talk to them while he can.

"What is it?" they asked, only just noticing the serious look on the older man's face.

"About Willow-"

"Our sister, yes what about her?" they finished for him.

"Yes, your sister," he said through gritted teeth at the word.

"Are you okay?"

"You look a bit… mad," Rye said bluntly.

"It's nothing," he said unconvincingly, making the twins lift a brow each at him. "Anyways, yes, about her, are you close with her?"

"Yes, of course…"

"… she's our sister after all."

"What about the guy?"

"Gale?" they asked, making Peeta nod, willing himself not to punch the window nearest him at the sound of the man's name. No offense to him, he seemed like a nice guy, but the thought of him actually having a child with Katniss is enough for him to hate the man with every fiber of his being.

Not trusting himself to respond without the hint of anger in his voice, Peeta merely nodded.

"He's a nice guy…"

"… we trust him…"

"… we don't really trust other guys, like how we trust him…"

"… except for you of course, your different."

'Of course I am, I'm your father,' he thought in approval, although not the part when they said they trusted other man as much as they did with him. "So about your father…"

"Our dead father?" they cut off again, and yet again, Peeta willed himself not to go on a rampage inside the limo as they said this. He was really going to kill Katniss for all the shit she's been feeding into the boys' brains.

"Yes, about him. What do you know about him?"

The boys looked at each other with furrowed brows, looking like they were deep in each other's thoughts.

"We're only telling you this…"

"… because we like you…"

"… and because we trust you, so…"

"… don't say anything to our mom."

Brows raised at this statement, Peeta got curious. He nodded at them, indicating he swore not to tell her.

"Remember what we told you? She told us our father is dead…"

"… and that we don't believe her and that we think our father just left us."

Peeta nodded again, remembering when they had mentioned this to him in the convenience store just last week.

"Well, it's true we never believed our father was dead, we really did know it by our gut feeling…"

"… but we only found out that our father left us because of mother. You see, she talks in her sleep…"

"… we don't think she knows it though…"

"… but we hear sounds coming from her room sometimes…"

"… and we easily wake up from our sleep…"

"… so we always find her crying in her sleep…"

"… and saying things like 'I'm sorry'…"

"… and 'I can't believe you left'."

The twins fell silent after the confession, and looked over to Peeta who had a hard look on his face.

'She's sorry? Huh… yeah right,' he hissed in thought. 'And what the bloody hell is she thinking? She can't believe I left her? She's the one who left me first! Not the damned other way around!'

He was getting more furious at Katniss now even if she didn't intentionally say those words in her sleep, because she still did. And now his owns sons think he's the bad guy when it was their own mother who had run off without a word, not him.

"What're you gonna do if your real dad appears?" he asked before stopping himself.

This earned him concerned looks from the twins.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he muttered before the window revealing the driver slid down to an open by half.

"We're almost here Mr. Mellark!" he called out before sliding it close again.

Peeta looked out at the scenery outside. The address Katniss gave them led them to a suburban area. Where they really in Los Angeles?

"Where are we?"

Luke and Rye scooted over the window as well, looking out at the dark scene outside due to the overly tinted windows of the limo.

"This is the neighborhood we live in…"

"… we've lived here ever since we were born."

"Haven't you guys ever live in Kentucky?" he asked casually.

"No, why do you ask?"

'I guess she never went back,' Peeta thought, figuring Katniss must have never gone back to where both of them grew up. Now he can't help but wonder if Katniss ever hesitated from letting the boys go to the theme park in the first place. The day he found out about the event being held in Los Angeles, he was 100% against it and outright refused to go. But he's been in such a good mood lately from the great times he spend with the bows, and his thoughts were all on that outburst Glimmer made to the press for the last few days, he forgot all about his hesitations on going in the first place. "Nothing, just wondering."

"We're here!" the twins exclaimed before scrambling to their feet and heading towards the door.

"Take care you two," he said with a smile and a nod.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"No, I have things to take care of."

"Oh," they said with a small frown.

"How about we spend the day together tomorrow?" Peeta suggested with a grin.

"Where are we going?"

Thinking about some good places to go to for 5 year olds, Peeta deliberated. "How about the zoo? Or the park?"

Grinning at each other the twins then nodded in his direction.

"We've never gone to the zoo…"

"… or to the park."

"Never?" Peeta asked with a frown.

"No, mother's always busy…"

"… with work and with Willow."

Peeta knew that if he heard another word about Katniss's obvious favor for her other brat over the boys, he'd really lose it.

"To the park and to the zoo then!" he said, trying to plaster a big smile on his face.

"We have to ask mother though…"

"… it'll take some time to convince her."

"I'll talk to her," Peeta offered as he saw Gale's car pull up to a stop behind them.

"Great!" they said excitedly, before running out the door.

An irritated scowl spread across Peeta's features as he punched hard on the seat beside him, releasing all his pent up anger for the past few hours.

XOXO

"We're here," Gale announced in relief as he stopped in front of a neighbor's house since the limo stopped right in front of the house. "Do you want a piggy back ride Willow?" he asked with a grin.

Getting out of the car, Katniss was still deep within her own thoughts. She was at an utter loss of what to do now.

"Mom! Mom!"

She turned to her boys who were running towards her, and now hugging a leg each.

"Calm down boys," she said with a laugh at their overexcited faces.

"Peeta has something to tell you!" they said, pointing to the man who had just gotten out of the car in front of theirs.

Katniss watched as Peeta made his way towards them in a few, long strides.

"Tell her! Tell her!"

Peeta smiled down at the boys. "Don't worry, I will. You guys go in first. It looks like it's about to rain."

Everyone looked up at this and indeed the clouds overhead were growing thick and dark.

"Go on boys, I'll see you inside."

"See you later Peeta!" they boys said with a wink at him before following Sae and Gale who was giving a giggling Willow a piggy back ride into the house.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" Katniss asked in a calm voice and a gentle smile, even though her inside were already doing front flips, back flips and all sort of flips from just looking at the handsome man in front of her.

"I want to take the boys out tomorrow," he said rather rudely, making it sound more like a statement of truth rather than a question of her approval.

"Excuse me?" she asked, perplexed at the tone he was using on her.

"You heard me," he barked, glaring down at her small form.

"I did Mr. Mellark, there's no need to say it in such a tone that's all," Katniss interrupted.

Peeta eyed her suspiciously, and Katniss knew all too well what that look entailed.

"Do you rememb-" he stopped as soon as she raised an open palm facing the sky.

"It's about to rain. I better get inside," she said abruptly. "If you wish to take the boys out tomorrow, please come by at 10 o'clock in the morning. Good day Mr. Mellark and thank you for your willingness to take my children back home."

Peeta frowned and watched her make her way into the small gate that held a small path beyond it, leading towards the front door of the average 2-story house. Holding his palm up, he tried to feel for any droplets and felt none.

'She's avoiding me,' he assumed before making his way back inside his limo.

Just as he shut the door to a close, heavy rain suddenly poured outside.

'Or not,' Peeta muttered, scratching the back of his head forcefully in annoyance.

Seconds ago he assumed his fifth conclusion, of Katniss only acting like she has no recollection of him, was true. But now, he was back to considering his fourth conclusion yet again.

'Could she really have forgotten everything that had happened to us five years ago?' he asked himself, getting angry and more annoyed. He hated the feeling of not knowing something that he's supposed to. 'What the hell happened five years ago?'

XOXO

So! Here's chapter five! I know some of you might actually have more questions after this chapter, but all I can tell you is keep reading jeje. For those who asked me what's the thing with Willow and Gale... you'll just have to wait, I'm sorry.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments and reviews are always welcome. You have no idea how happy they made me every time I read them.

DISCLAIMER.

As always, I don't own The Hunger Games nor the plot. They belong to Suzanne Collins and The Dreamer.. in that order.


	6. The Lullaby

**Chapter six**

**The lullaby**

Katniss slammed the door shut and leaned her back on it, breathing heavily with a hand over her racing heart. She could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes, tears she's been trying so hard to hold in from the first time in five years her eyes laid on Peeta in the theme park. She couldn't hold it in anymore when they were in the restaurant, and it feels like she couldn't hold it in again anymore now.

"Katniss?"

Her eyes snapped back down from her gaze on the ceiling.

"Yeah?" she asked, thankful her tears didn't escape her lids.

"Are you okay?" Gale asked with knitted brows in worry for the woman who looked like she was about to break down.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she reassured, trying to calm herself. "I just ran back in so I wouldn't get caught in the rain that's all," she lied, which perfectly explains her short and shallow breathing.

Gale looked at her, not convinced, he knew this woman for five years now after all, but decided to ley it go.

"Anyway, I better get going. I have to go back to the hospital. The family of one of my patients has been asking for me since noon."

Katniss smiled at the man and bowed her head lightly at him. "I'm sorry for taking you from your work for the whole afternoon."

"Are you kidding?" I haven't had this much fun for a while now. I mean, I would never have met Mellark if I had been stuck in the hospital all day," he said with a grin.

With a small smile, Katniss kept silent, not knowing what to make of his statement.

"Katniss, are your really okay?"

She nodded with a sure look on her face. "Yeah, I am. I'll see you again tomorrow for Willow?"

Frowning slightly at her change of subject, he sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Like I said earlier in the car, be there by 8 o'clock, or 9 o'clock at most. I've already jus contacted my other colleagues."

"Alright, thank you Gale. And here," Katniss pulled out one of the large umbrellas from the rack just beside the front door. "It's raining cats and dogs out there."

"Thanks. See you girls tomorrow!"

Lightly closing the door behind him, Katniss sighed yet again, feeling uneasy and slightly guilty.

She really didn't want to let the boys spend more time with Peeta, it would ruin everything, but she can't deny him or the boy's time with each other either.

Katniss knows Peeta isn't stupid. He must've already figured out that Luke and Rye really were indeed his and Katniss's children from the minute he saw her earlier. But she still held on to that tiny hope that he would just go along his way without bothering her or the boys ever again. And personally, she didn't at all want to face him ever again if she could help it, which is why she specifically told him to pick the boys up tomorrow when she was sure she was out of the house herself.

Scratching her head lightly, Katniss couldn't believe this sudden turn of events. She's been living quite peacefully over the last five years. Well, she's not living in luxury like he was, but she's getting by with her children at a normal pace and she was already contented with that. So, why is this all happening now?

"Oh God, help me," she whispered, resting her forehead on the front door.

XOXO

"Peeta?"

at the sound of his name, Peeta snapped out of the trance of his own thoughts, only to be met by a lot of worried looks directed at him.

"Yeah?" he said, still a bit absentminded.

Glimmer looked at him, concerned before turning to everyone inside the room. "Can we reschedule this?" she asked the group with an apologetic smile.

The two woman and three men nodded at her and proceeded to pack their equipment. They'd rather do the interview on another day than do it now when their main subject seemed out of it.

"I'm so sorry," Glimmer told them as they made their way towards the door of the hotel suite.

Sighing, she went back to the lounge where Peeta sat, his look deep in thought yet again for that night.

"Peeta?"

"Huh?" he said, sounding lost. "Where is everyone?" he asked, slightly shocked that the reporter and the cameraman and their assistants were gone.

"They already left, I'm rescheduling the interview," she replied, her brows knitted together in worry. "Are you alright?"

Exhaling a long breath, he stood up and stretched his long arms up in the air. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?" he said casually.

"You've had this very thoughtful and preoccupied look on your face ever since you got back here. Why? Did something happen when you were out?"

Peeta shook his head and flashed a reassuring smile. "Nothing. I'm just a little tired from everything that happened today, that's all. I'm going to bed."

Without another word, and no waiting for her to say another word, Peeta quickly made his way towards the large master bedroom on to one side of the lounge.

Glimmer sighed, watching his retreating from until the door closed behind him. "Something's wrong," she concluded surely.

XOXO

"Hey mom! Mom!"

Katniss looked back as her boys ran through the kitchen door with big smiles on their faces. They were clearly excited for the day's activities.

"What do you think?" they asked in unison as they posed about in their matching outfits of white sneakers, light denim blue jeans and striped polo shirts. Their hair was even combed down. At least, as combed down as they could manage to make it.

"Both of you look positively handsome," she said with a grin before pulling them into hugs. "You two are too cute!"

"Mommmm…" they both complained, trying to push her away.

"We don't want 'cute'…"

"… we're trying to look cool!"

Katniss merely laughed at them and nodded. "Yes, yes, you look cool too," she said, earning a grin from the boys. "Now, come on, eat your breakfast. Willow and I have to leave in a while."

Willow, who was sitting silently on her seat at the dining table, smiled as her mother looked over towards her before turning to her brothers. "Have fun today, Luke, Rye," she said in gentle sincerity.

The twin boys looked at her with identical grins, which slowly started to face.

"I wish you could come with us…"

"… yeah, we haven't spent time together lately."

"Don't worry, we can play together tonight!" she assured them with a big smile upon her face.

"I hope so, but what if you fall asleep early again?"

"Just like last night?"

Willow shook her head. "I'll stay up with you tonight for sure!"

Luke and Rye grinned at each other before winking at their little sister, making her blush a little and giggle.

"Now, what were you three talking about?" Katniss asked, seeing the smiles on all her children.

"Nothing!" all three of them replied when their mother started placing their meals in front of them.

"With you three? It's never nothing," she pointed out.

The children remained in silence at this, instead closed their eyes in individual prayer before digging in their breakfast.

Katniss watched them, a smile never leaving her face. This is her family, and she liked it just the way it was. Just watching her kids eating their meals, playing with them during her free time, reading them stories and singing to them songs at night. This has been her life for the past five years, and she never complained. Even if it was a burden, she still enjoyed it and she loved every minute of it nonetheless. She can't even imagine if anything were to change from this life of hers.

Thinking about change only made her smile slowly face. She knew it was inevitable, especially now that she's met with Peeta again. But she had already decided to herself yesterday that she won't let him change anything, which was why she played dumb yesterday as if she had only met him for the first time. If he believed her little act, she was hoping he'd just leave them alone as soon as he was done with whatever he was doing here in Los Angeles. She didn't go through all the trouble of not letting the kids watch TV or video games or restricting them from certain places all these years for nothing after all. She did all that so if in case Peeta's pictures or posters would get posted somewhere; they wouldn't see it and would never question their resemblance.

"Mom?"

Katniss shook her head and was met with three pairs of eyes, two pairs of familiar blue and a pair of just as familiar silver.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"You're not eating…"

"… and you look kind of…"

"… lost," Willow finished for her brothers, making the male pair nod.

"I was just thinking that's all," she assured before putting a bright smile on her face. "Shall we go Willow? The sooner we go, the sooner we finish, and the sooner we get back, the sooner you can play with your brothers."

Willow smiled at this and nodded enthusiastically.

XOXO

Looking up from her morning paper, Glimmer looked over at Peeta as he headed out of the door to his room.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, noting his attire.

Peeta nodded in her direction before turning to the decorative mirror in the lounge and positioning his gray Fedora hat on his curly hair. Clad in a white wife beater underneath a short-sleeved gray button-down shirt that he left open and unbuttoned, dark denim jeans and gray leather shoes, he was ready to go on his first _official _father-son outing with his boys.

"Where are you going?" Glimmer pressed, seeing as she didn't get a verbal answer to her last question.

"Out," he replied vaguely, before positioning a pair of dark aviators on his nose, totally blocking his blue eyes.

Sighing somewhat irately, Glimmer folded her paper and set it on the breakfast table and walked over to him. "You're not seeing some girl are you?" she asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice. He had just agreed yesterday that he would give their relationship a chance and now, he was out and about looking very handsome and she didn't know where he was going and with who.

Peeta raised a brow at her. "Of course not," he answered truthfully. "You know I don't have any interest in the female population," he reminded her.

"Good! Because you already agreed just yesterday about _us_."

Totally forgetting such a conversation, Peeta mentally cursed. "Err… you don't mind that I go out do you?" he asked, unsure if he even had to ask her in the first place. He's always been used to doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

Seeing his effort, Glimmer can't help but grin. "No," she said, shaking her head. "As long as you don't go out with some girl."

XOXO

"Yeah?" he answered into his cell. "No, he told me he wanted some privacy today… Huh? But… hmmm…. Well, if you're sure… yeah, okay."

Boggs slowly got up from his seat with a sigh.

The three men around him looked up at him as he stared to leave.

"Hey, where are you going? We're far from finished. We only just started!" one of the men still situated at the poker table called.

"I'll be back, I just have to check something out!" he called back from the doorway to the hotel room. "And don't touch my chips! I already counted them!"

XOXO

"He's here!" the twin boys exclaimed when the door bell rang.

Jumping off the couch, they dashed straight to the front door.

"Don't run too fast! You might trip!" Sae called out although they were out of her sight.

XOXO

Whistling to himself, Peeta was in a jolly mood. He waited outside his sons' home, playing with the identical and smaller white Fedora hats with his hands.

"Hey!" he greeted with a grin matching the twins'. "Here"

Holding up their small hands, they took the hats from him and placed it securely on their heads.

"Thanks!" they exclaimed before making their way down the stone path towards the small front gate. "Let's go!"

Peeta watched them but stayed in his place. "What about your mother? Isn't she sending you off or something? No goodbye kisses?"

"No, she already left hour ago…"

"… she's out with Willow."

Blood started to boil within him yet again, but Peeta held a cool expression on his face. "She left you two alone in the house by yourselves?" he asked, trying to restrain himself from throwing the large rock on the ground through one of the house's windows.

"Mona is inside…"

"… but she's not coming."

Knowing this, he willed himself to relax. And he did… with much effort.

"Alright, c'mon you two," he said, walking pass them and opening the gate.

Now he's even more determined to show the boys a really good time. He's going to make them wish they lived with Peeta instead of Katniss and he's going to make sure that brat of hers and that man from yesterday, will be so jealous of the boys, she's going to whine and complain to her mother and her father about life being so unfair that she doesn't have the stuff he'll shower the boys in before the day is even out.

"Where's the limo?"

Peeta smiled at the twins before pointing towards a silver convertible Mercedes Benz across the street that already had its top down.

"Is that yours?" they asked, getting excited.

"I thought it would be better and… less obvious if we rode that instead of a limo. We wouldn't want attention now would we?"

XOXO

"How are you feeling?" Katniss asked lovingly, as she took her daughter's hand and played with her tiny fingers.

Willow smiled up at her mother. "I'm fine. How are _you _feeling?"

Katniss can't help but laugh, and Willow giggled as she did.

"Katniss? Willow?"

The two girls turned to the door as Gale stepped inside the white room they were currently waiting in with Willow resting on the table in the middle and Katniss on a stool beside her.

With a smile on his face, Gale set the chart aside and sat on the chair on the other side of Willow, opposite Katniss.

"How is it?" Katniss asked, can't help but have a smile on her face as well after seeing the man's positive features.

"It all looks alright. In our perspective anyway," he said, pointing to the mirror behind him.

The two girls looked over at the mirror and waved, knowing there would be a group of other doctors and specialist on the other side that were watching them.

"So she won't…" trailing off, Katniss glanced at Willow before turning back to Gale, "… you know."

Gale shook his head. "We think not, just make sure she doesn't get a lot of negative emotional strain."

Katniss nodded at this in understanding. She was confident that her daughter won't get any negative strain at all. In fact, she was quite sure she would get more positive emotional strain from her brothers. They always did have fun together.

Taking a lollipop out of the front pocket of his with lab gown, Gale handed it to Willow with an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry for stealing another day from you Willow."

Willow shook her head and took the lollipop from the doctor with a shy smile. "It's okay, especially if you keep giving me candy," she said with a little giggle before unwrapping it and popping it inside her mouth.

XOXO

"Hello? Yeah, it's me. I don't know what you're getting worried about. He's just gotten out of the zoo with those twin boys from before… yeah… no, it's just the three of them… sure… no, I'm heading back to the hotel. Don't worry too much… alright," shaking his head, Boggs pocketed his cell on the front pocket of his shirt.

Starting the engine to his car, he took one last glance at Peeta and the two little boys before making his way out the zoo parking lot and onto the main road.

'I don't get why Glimmer's being paranoid and crazy jealous over two boys,' he thought, exasperated at the hassle the woman just brought upon him. When she called him earlier, she made him think like Peeta's going to be in trouble, when clearly he's just enjoying the nice day out with two kids.

XOXO

Looking at the rear-view mirror of the car, he checked the grinning faces of the twins.

"You two alright back there?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Yeah!" they exclaimed with laughter in their voice.

Peeta turned to them and can't help but laugh at the scene as well. The back passenger seats of the car was full of stuffed animals from the ground up, just ending enough to show the twins' heads amongst the heads of the animals.

"How are we going to fit all of this in our room?" Rye asked his brother.

Luke merely laughed before poking his brother with the protruding tongue of a stuffed anteater.

The two laughed as they began playfully hitting each other with the stuffed animals Peeta bought them, which was one of everything they had found in the zoo. If the zoo had stuffed versions of every animal, they had, they were sure they wouldn't have much space left in the car.

"To the park?" Peeta asked from the front before backing up his car from the space they parked earlier that morning. They already had their lunch inside the zoo and it was already nearing 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

XOXO

"Mommy?"

Katniss looked away from the ring of keys on her hands and down to her daughter.

"Yes, hon?"

"I thing the ice cream's melted," Willow pointed out after surveying the contents of the plastic bag in her hands.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's not that melted. We'll put them in the freezer before we eat them," Katniss replied with a smile before putting in the right key into the keyhole of the front door. "Rye! Luke!" setting her shoes to the side, Katniss peeked down the hallway before helping Willow out of her shoes and coat. "Your brothers aren't here yet."

"It's still early anyways. I'll play with my dolls until they get here. And I can always eat the ice cream later. It's okay."

Katniss smiled at her sweet daughter before rumpling her hair, which was identical in color to her, only Willow's was shorter.

"Okay, c'mon. Let's go to the kitchen and put these away first. I'm pretty sure Sae went home right after your brothers left."

XOXO

"How are we going to get all this stuff inside the house?"

Peeta looked back at the twins, grinning. He didn't have a clue. He went slightly overboard with buying Luke and Rye almost everything he could get his hands on that would befit five year olds, he didn't even consider the amount of space they have inside that small house they live in with Katniss.

"Just take as much as you can and we'll make a couple of trips until we get all the stuff in your room. How's that sound?"

With identical grins, the two boys nodded before opening the car doors, sending a few of the stuffed animals to the ground. Grabbing two stuffed animals each, the twins trotted into the gate and up to the front door of their house, then looked at each other.

"I can't knock."

"Neither can I."

The two looked back to find Peeta almost covered from the waist up with a large load of stuffed animals and they laughed.

"What are you two laughing at?"

"You look funny!" they replied, pointing with their lips towards the stuffed giraffe whose head was hanging between his legs, the stuffed snake twisted around his neck and all the other eight or so stuffed animals he was able to carry.

"Yeah, yeah, brats!" he said with a smile before knocking the door with the end of his leather shoes. "Let's hope your mother's already home," he added, sounding a bit annoyed. If Katniss wasn't home, he was sure he'll really throw a rock through the window.

A minute later, no one had still answered the door and a frown was slowly setting into Peeta's features. He rammed the end of his shoe to the foot of the door again and a little more loudly.

"Katniss!" he called out. "Open up!"

Still nothing.

"Katniss! Are you in there? KAT-!"

Before he can finish calling out her name, the front door swung open.

"What the devil is going o-" the disheveled looking woman in front of him looked up at him then down to her boys, the frown on her face giving way to a small smile. "About time you boys came home," she said, directing to the twins.

"Sorry mom!"

"We got held up…"

"… we stopped by the mall…"

"… after we visited the zoo and the park!"

Katniss nodded and let the boys through, then looked up at the much taller man still standing outside.

"Are you letting me in or what?" Peeta said, trying not to sound so rude.

"O-Of course," Katniss said, leading him to the living room. "Uhm… what's with all the animals?" she asked, picking up what looked to be a stuffed porcupine.

"A gift, for the _boys_," he said, clearly emphasizing that all of it were solely for the boys. He didn't know if Katniss got it, but if she did, she didn't show it.

"You didn't have to buy them anything. But, thank you," she said. "And thank you for taking them out today, especially since I've already had plans with Willow."

Katniss clearly saw his jaw tighten at the mention of her daughter, although she didn't know why. Peeta merely nodded stiffly at her, without saying a word.

"Mom! Mom! Mom!"

The two adults turned to the twins running down the hallway towards them.

"We still have a lot of stuff in the car…"

"… can you help us bring them in?"

Katniss whipped her head back to Peeta with an inquiring look on her face. The man merely smirked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

By the time they were finished with unloading all the new toys form Peeta's car, almost an hour had already passed. The boys were excited to use every single thing Peeta bought them, Katniss was dead tired from all the lifting she did, and Peeta was simply happy just watching the boys' happy faces.

"This is really too much," Katniss said, looking at the load of things scattered on the floor. Peeta didn't only shower them with stuffed animals, he also bought story books, toy cars and robots, video games, new clothes and new shoes.

"There's no such thing as too much for _my_ boys," Peeta replied from the couch opposite where she sat in the living room.

Katniss looked at him. 'He really does know,' she thought, slightly panicking now. "I-"

"Mom?"

Thanking God for the timely interruption, Katniss turned to Luke.

"What is it Luke?"

"Willow says she wants to sleep," he said, sounding slightly miserable. "She says she's already tired, even if Rye told her that we still wanted to play with her with all our new toys."

Katniss smiled gently at him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Your sister's had a pretty tiring day with me. She doesn't have as much energy like you and your bother. Don't worry, she'll play with you tomorrow, okay?"

Luke nodded at this, putting a small smile on his face. "Rye is in her room, trying to sing to her. But Willow says she wants to hear you sing like you usually do."

"Alright, now, you and your brother entertain Mr. Mellark while I go to your sister."

With that said, Katniss left the living room without so much as a word or even a glance to Peeta. And somehow it annoyed him.

"Are you okay?"

Peeta nodded at Luke with a forced smile before Rye came running inside the living room.

"I think Mom's gonna sing Willow our song," he informed.

"But she only sings that song if she needs to cheer us up," Luke pointed out with a slight frown. "Is Willow okay?"

"Before mom came, she told me she's not feeling too well and wants to sleep early, she sounded kind of sad to me."

Peeta glanced at the clock; it was only 7 o'clock in the evening. He guessed Willow was about four years old, judging from how much smaller she was from the boys. He didn't really know what time kids go to sleep but he was fairly sure sleeping at 7 o'clock was too early.

"Hey Peeta?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to hear mother sing?"

"She's a really great singer you know!" Rye said proudly.

'Of course she is,' he thought before standing up from his seat and nodding towards them.

XOXO

"Are you okay my little Willow?" Katniss asked, smiling down at her daughter who was lying down on her bed in her own room that was decorated mostly in pink with a few stuffed animals and dolls.

Willow nodded at her with closed eyes. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Katniss sat down beside her on the bed and stroked her hair off her forehead, and again, and again, and again. Doing this always soothed her children and it easily sends them to sleep.

"Who is that man in the living room mother?" she asked instead, not answering her question.

"Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering why my brothers like him so much. And he seems to really like them too. I saw some of the toys he had given them."

"You can all share with your brothers' new toys, a-" Katniss stopped when Willow shook her head and opened her eyes, and looked at her.

"Those toys aren't mine. It's okay, I'm still happy with the dolls you gave me," she said with a reassuring smile, after noting her mother's smile falter a little. "The toys you give me are enough for me."

Katniss smiled a little sadly before pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry about the toys Willow. We can always discuss this in the morning. You had a really tiring day. What song do you want me to sing to you?"

"Deep in the meadow," she replied before closing her eyes yet again.

Taking an unsure glance at the open door, Katniss hoped her voice wouldn't reach the living room. In fact, she hoped her boys would entertain their guest as loudly as they could.

Taking a deep breath, she started.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when you awake, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray, Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place_

"… W-Where I love you…"

Tears finally slipped from Katniss's eyes and down her cheeks as she faltered with the last line. She pressed one last kiss onto the forehead of her sleeping daughter before turning on the lamp on her night stand.

"Good night, my little Willow," she whispered before turning off the main light of the room. Slowly and silently shutting the door to a close, Katniss then headed down the hall and towards her bedroom.

XOXO

Peeta leaned onto the wall beside the open doorway and glared at the floor. He could clearly hear the twins doing something in the kitchen, but his ears were focused to the musical sounds that were coming from the open room beside him.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when you awake, the sun will rise._

Listening to the lyrics of the 'lullaby', Peeta could literally feel his heart being wrenched out of his chest… if he had a heart.

Now he was only too sure Katniss had been faking it. She really does remember him, except she's been acting as if she doesn't.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
_

But now, after hearing this song, no doubt about it, she really is aware of the whole situation and she really had knowingly hidden it from him for the past five years.

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
_

After hearing the final lines coming out in beautiful song from her lips, he knew it was drawing to a close. How can he not? This was the song she used to sing to him every single night after his family die in that car accident.

Pushing himself from the wall, he glared one last time at the doorway before making his way back towards the living room, only just missing Katniss falter into a broken tone.

_Here is the place where I love you._

XOXO

I know you probably won't even read this. I really hope you get here.

I wanna apologize to every single one of you who's been waiting for this chapter since two weeks ago. The last two weeks had been... I don't even know how to describe them. I'm starting to believe I might have a lot of bad luck.

Anyway, I'm back. I'll try not to take so much time updating. But I really wanna thank every single one of who for not giving up on me. You have no idea how much you mean to me guys.

I hope you liked this chapter, it's kind of sad... but you'll see it gets better.

And as always,

DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Hunger Game, they all belong to Suzanne Collins. And the story belongs to The Dreamer.


End file.
